Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI442
2003-01-27 13:27:00
SECRET
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:
SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR AWAY:
null Diana T Fritz 06/05/2007 10:46:51 AM From DB/Inbox: Search Results Cable Text: SECRET SIPDIS TELEGRAM January 27, 2003 To: No Action Addressee Action: Unknown From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 442 - PRIORITY) TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINR Captions: None Subject: SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR AWAY: ABU MUSA DEAL ELUDES HAMDAN Ref: None _________________________________________________________________ S E C R E T ABU DHABI 00442 SIPDIS CXABU: ACTION: POL INFO: ECON RSO AMB DCM P/M DISSEMINATION: POL CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: AMB:MMWAHBA DRAFTED: POL:STWILLIAMS CLEARED: A/DCM:TEWILLIAMS VZCZCADI228 PP RUEHC RUCNIRA RUEHDE RUEHTU RUMICEA RUEKJCS RHEHNSC RHEFDIA RUEAIIA DE RUEHAD #0442 0271327 ZNY SSSSS ZZH P 271327Z JAN 03 FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8100 INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 2744 RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 0480 RUMICEA/USCINCCENT INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP/DSCA-MEAN/ISA-NESA// RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
S E C R E T ABU DHABI 000442
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP AND NEA/NGA
TUNIS FOR FSI/MAYBURY
CENTCOM FOR POLAD AMBASSADOR LITT
NSC FOR ABRAMS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/27/13
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR IR TC
SUBJECT: SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR AWAY:
ABU MUSA DEAL ELUDES HAMDAN
REF: A) 02 Abu Dhabi 6693 (11 December 2002)
B) 02 Abu Dhabi 2773 (02 June 2002)
S E C R E T ABU DHABI 000442
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP AND NEA/NGA
TUNIS FOR FSI/MAYBURY
CENTCOM FOR POLAD AMBASSADOR LITT
NSC FOR ABRAMS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/27/13
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR IR TC
SUBJECT: SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR AWAY:
ABU MUSA DEAL ELUDES HAMDAN
REF: A) 02 Abu Dhabi 6693 (11 December 2002)
B) 02 Abu Dhabi 2773 (02 June 2002)
1. (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba,
Reasons 1.5 (B) and (D).
2. (S) In the course of a 1/22 meeting with visiting
NEA A/S Burns, MFA Minstate Hamdan Bin Zayid Al-
Nahyan briefed on the difficulties he is
encountering sealing a deal with Iran on Abu Musa,
one of three Gulf islands occupied by Iran but
claimed by both the UAE and Iran. In contrast to
his earlier optimism, conveyed to the Ambassador as
recently as one month ago (ref a),Hamdan now
believes that the "difficult internal situation" in
Iran -- namely the strengthening of the hardliners
at the expense of the reformers -- has made progress
towards a deal more elusive. Hamdan explained that
the UAE had worked with Khatemi and the reformers to
move the deal along but now that the hardliners have
the upper hand, it has apparently been put on hold.
He does not expect the situation to change; in fact,
with military action looming in Iraq, it is the UAE
leadership's collective belief that the position of
the Iranian hardliners will only strengthen.
3. (S) Comment: Hamdan is clearly disappointed at
this setback, having come so close to sealing the
deal. He expended a lot of time (two trips to
Tehran and countless hours in Abu Dhabi with Iranian
envoy Muhammad Abtahi, Khatemi's chef de cabinet who
was subsequently promoted to the post of Vice
President) and prestige. We expect the Emiratis
will sit tight for now, though they clearly would
have liked to remove this irritant in their
bilateral relationship with Iran before any major
regional geostrategic upheaval. End Comment.
4. (U) A/S Burns did not clear this message.
WAHBA
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP AND NEA/NGA
TUNIS FOR FSI/MAYBURY
CENTCOM FOR POLAD AMBASSADOR LITT
NSC FOR ABRAMS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/27/13
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR IR TC
SUBJECT: SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR AWAY:
ABU MUSA DEAL ELUDES HAMDAN
REF: A) 02 Abu Dhabi 6693 (11 December 2002)
B) 02 Abu Dhabi 2773 (02 June 2002)
1. (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba,
Reasons 1.5 (B) and (D).
2. (S) In the course of a 1/22 meeting with visiting
NEA A/S Burns, MFA Minstate Hamdan Bin Zayid Al-
Nahyan briefed on the difficulties he is
encountering sealing a deal with Iran on Abu Musa,
one of three Gulf islands occupied by Iran but
claimed by both the UAE and Iran. In contrast to
his earlier optimism, conveyed to the Ambassador as
recently as one month ago (ref a),Hamdan now
believes that the "difficult internal situation" in
Iran -- namely the strengthening of the hardliners
at the expense of the reformers -- has made progress
towards a deal more elusive. Hamdan explained that
the UAE had worked with Khatemi and the reformers to
move the deal along but now that the hardliners have
the upper hand, it has apparently been put on hold.
He does not expect the situation to change; in fact,
with military action looming in Iraq, it is the UAE
leadership's collective belief that the position of
the Iranian hardliners will only strengthen.
3. (S) Comment: Hamdan is clearly disappointed at
this setback, having come so close to sealing the
deal. He expended a lot of time (two trips to
Tehran and countless hours in Abu Dhabi with Iranian
envoy Muhammad Abtahi, Khatemi's chef de cabinet who
was subsequently promoted to the post of Vice
President) and prestige. We expect the Emiratis
will sit tight for now, though they clearly would
have liked to remove this irritant in their
bilateral relationship with Iran before any major
regional geostrategic upheaval. End Comment.
4. (U) A/S Burns did not clear this message.
WAHBA